Automatic railway switch



Feb. 3, 1931. R. PATORAN 1,791,308

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Aug. 28, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l FPafm-a 7;

Feb. 3, 1931. R. PATORAN ,30

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY swrrca Filed Aug. 28. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ina 1?. PA TOR/W Feb. 3, 1931. R. PATORAN AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Aug. 28, -192s;

4 Shuets-$heet 3 IN Vin/701 l Bio/"an,

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 R. PATORAN AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Aug. 28. 1929 Ira/Enron R.Pa 7on4.

Feb. 3, 1931.

Patented Feb. 3, 1931 2 1,791,308

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BODE PATORAN, OF SCHUMACHER, ONTARIO, CANADA AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH Application filed August 28, 1929, Serial No. 888,897, and in Canada August 23, 1929.

My invention relates to means for operat- Similar characters of reference denote ing railway switches of that type wherein similar or corresponding parts throughout the switch is actuated by the engagement of the different views. some part or parts by an incoming train or In the invention are included three sepa- 5 car. rate parts,the switch mechanism, the re- 55 The main object is to provide such switch mote operating levers therefor, and the opoperating means which are simple in conerating means for said levers, mounted on struction, easily installed, and which coInthe car or cars. prise a minimum of parts. The switch mechanism, shown in Figures 0 A second object is to provide switch 0p- 3 and 4, consists of a shaft mounted in 60 crating means wherein that part which is a casing 16 positioned beneath the ties eunoperated by the coming train or car can der the switch points 17 and 18. The shaft be engaged by a following car to open or is provided at its upper end with a pinion close the switch, as the case may be, without 19 in engagement with a rack 20 forming 15 the necessity of being re-set by an attendpart of crossbar 21, the ends of which are ant. fastened to points 17 and 18, as shown, so

A third object of the invention is to prothat on partial rotation of the shaft the vide a switch operating means wherein a sinpoints will be switched in order to engage gle piece of cable will serve to form connecone or the other of the side tracks. On the 29 tion between the operating members, posishaft and in the casing is mounted a drum tioned on each track, coming to the switch 22 securely fastened thereto by means of with the switch operating device. a key or pin, not shown. In order to hold Other objects and advantages will become the points close to the side rails when enapparent on reading the following descripgaged, a push rod 23, provided with a spring tion, supplemented by drawings in which-- 24, presses against the periphery of the drum Figure 1 is a top view of a switch provided 22 so as to have a tendency to apply preswith my invention; sure tangentially thereto either one way or Figure 2 is a cross section of a road-bed the other so long as the rod 23 is passed showing the switch operating device engaged dead center on rotation of the drum. The

by a car passing thereover; spring is held under pressure by means of a Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the block 25 mounted by means of bolts or spikes road-bed showing the position of the main to the casing, as shown. The drum receives switch operating drum; the cable from the operating levers, the ar- Figure 4 is a top view of the switch and rangement of which will be described later.

35 drum shown in Figure 3; The operating levers consist of a shaft 26 Figure 5 is a perspective view of a car, mountedin the casing 27 positioned beneath showing the lever engaging members; the ties at some point along the tracks dis- Figure 6 is an end "iew thereof; tant enough from the switch so that the same Figure 7 shows a lever engaging member may be operated before the car is too near. in detail; Drum 28 is mounted on the shaft and securely Figure 8 shows the operating handle therefastened thereto by means of a pin, as shown for; in Figure 10. This drum receives the cable Figure 9 is a side view of the operating which connects with the drum of the switch lever with the drum; operating mechanism. The shaft is sufli- Figure 10 is a view of the operating lever ciently long so as to extend upward to a dispartly in section; tance above the ties to support a cross lever Figure 11 is a perspective view showing 29 substantially at the same level as the top the manner in which the cable is arranged; of the rails. The construction of the lever Figure 12 is an underside view of the cross operatin means is shown in detail in Figures lever shown in Figure 10. 9, 10 an 12. The cross lever has a per ora tion 30 to receive the end of the shaft and further it has two perforations 31 in which are mounted springs 32, said springs being each attached at one end to the side of the shaft, as at 33'. This will permit the rotation of the cross lever 29 on the shaft by force but when released will return the same parallel to the line in which the springs are fastened to the shaft at 33. The rotation of the cross bar on the shaft is limited by a pin 34 which passes therethrough and which is set into a depression 35, as shown, so that the shaft will come into engagement with the cross bar as soon as the same is rotated either right or left until the ends of pin 34 come into contact with the sides 36 formed by the depression. 7 w

It is to be understood that where a track is to have connection with two ways by means of a switch as shown in Figure 1, an'operating lever will be positioned in eachof the tracks coming towards the switch. Connection between each lever and the switch operating mechanism is in the present case by means of a cable which is so arranged that it will interconnect all three lever with the switch operating mechanism and yet be in the one length. In Figure 11, 22 represents the drum of the switch operatin mechanism; 28 the drum of the operating lever shown in section A, Figure 1; 28 the drum shown in section B, Figure 1; and 28 the drum shown in section Cv of the said Figure. The cable 37, which may start at a point 38, is stretched along section C of the track, making two turns around drum 22, extending therefrom to drum 28*, passing one and one-half times around the same, then back along track A to drum 22, encircling the same twice, then along track B to drum 28 encircling the same one and one-half times, after which it returns to drum 22 to encircle the same one and one-half times, then it is extended along track C, encircling drum. 28 one and onehalf times, from which it meets at 38 the other end of the cable, where both may be secured together by means of a clamp 39. It is evident that on rotation of any one drum the three oth r drums will rotate in the same direction. The cables are preferably encased in a box positioned underneath the tracks, as shown in dotted lines 37". r

The operating means for the lever consist of a shaft 40 held to the underside of a car by bearings 41 fastened over the IIsteel 51 forming the chassis of the car. Substantially in the middle thereof is mounted an engaging member 42 consisting of apiece of flat metal encircling the shaft .as shown in Figure 7, the ends 43 and 44 of which piece extend downwardly at an angle of substantially 45. This member is pinned tothe shaft, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. Both endsof the shaft extend outside of bearings 41 and are squared as shown in Figure 8. A

handle 45 having a square perforation is mounted at each end of the shaft, as shown, and held in place by pins 46 which pass through the perforations in shaft 40. In order to hold member 42 so that the angle of the two ends 43 and 44 will be the same with reference to the car, the road-bed or the operating lever, a plate 4? is rigidly mounted to the shaft as shown and is held in horizontal position by means of two springs 48, one end of each of which engages in per forations 4 9 in the plate and the other end of each of which springs is attached to the upper edge of the I steel 51, as at 50. This arrangement will permit the manual operation of the shaft from both ends of the car and it will be seen that moving hand levers 45 on one side will cause one of the ends of member 42 to reach downwardly towards the road-bed and the end which will be so affected would be that on the side to which the lever is thrown.

In operation,- assuming that a car is coming along on portion A of the track and that the rails at the switch are in the position shown in Figure 4: If the car proceeds without any manipulation of the handles 45, it will evidently enter section E, Figure 1. If, however, it is desired that the car enter section C, one of the handles 45 will be thrown to the left, lowering end 44 of member 42 into engagement with the left hand side of cross lever 29, thereby imparting a clockwise rotation to drum 28. As previously explained, this will, by means of the cable, give a similar rotation to drum 22 of the switch operating mechanism, which, by means of the pinion, will throw the switch points to the right, thereby opening entrance to section G. A following car desiring to enter section B will do so on throwing one of the hand levers thereon to the right hand side so that the end 43of member 42 will engage the right hand side of the cross bar 29, transferring the switch points to the left hand side, thereby opening the entrance to track 13. The same operating results will be obtained by cars coming from tracks B and C. It is to be pointed out, further, that when performing what is known as a flying shunt where cars are uncoupled so that a car will be released from the main train to enter a different way to that of the latter, no attendant will be required at the switch; as, for example, should two cars be coming along the main line at A, the first car to enter section C, and the second, section B, the points may be positioned after the first car has passed there'over so that the second car will enter B by throwin g the hand lever on the first car to the right, thereby engaging the right, hand side of the cross lever in section C. This will impart to this lever an anticlockwise rotation, and consequently a similar movement to the switch operating mechanism by means of the connecting cable, thereby throwing the switch with said tracks comprisin coil springs atpoints to the left hand side and opening entached to each end of sai trance to B for the following car.

The above are only two examples of what may be done with my switching mechanism as to any shunting combination necessary where be Ontario, Canada.

a switch of this type is employed can be performed without the aid of an attendant.

The purpose of the play between shaft 26 and cross bar 29 is to allow the cross bar to return as nearly perpendicular to the tracks as is possible after the same has been rotated by engagement with one of the ends of member 42 so that the bar may be engaged by the opposite end of the said bar from a following car. The amount of rotation imparted to the cross bar by a passing car is approximately The amount required by the drum, however, to operate the switch is approximately 27 so that the difference in rotation between the two will be taken up by the play above referred to and will permit a set-back of approximately 27 due to the tension of springs 32, as previously explained.

While I have described my invention strictly in accordance with the drawings shown, it must be understood that many changes may be made to suit different requirements and locations, such as the substituting of rods suitably connected to the shafts for the cables shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an automatic railway switch, in combination with a number of intersecting tracks and a switch there between, said switch comprising a plate fastened between the rail points, an opening in said plate, a rack gear on one side of said opening, a shaft mounted under said plate, a pinion carried by said shaft positioned to mesh with the rack on said plate, a drum also carried by said shaft,

- a switch operating means positioned between said tracks remote from said switch points, said means comprising a vertical shaft, a drum mounted thereon, a switch operating lever movably connected on said shaft positioned to be actuated by the car passing over the same, and a cable connection between the drum of said operating levers and the drum on said switch-point actuating member.

2. In an automatic railwayswitch,a switch actuating means comprising a casing, a shaft mounted in said casing, having one end projecting therefrom, a drum mounted on said shaft inside said casing,across lever mounted at the upper end of said shaft positioned to be actuated by the car passing over the same, means to allow a rotary play of said cross lever comprising a pin passing through said shaft in a double notchinsaidcross lever into which said pin plays, and means to maintain said cross lever in a right-angled position lever and connected on each side of said shaft.

In testimony of the foregoing, I have hereafiixed my signature, this 23rd day of Octor, 1928, at Timmins, in the Province of RODE PATORAN. 

